After a medal-filled second week, Canada’s Olympic run in Milan Cortina ended with a devastating 2-1 overtime loss to the United States in the men’s hockey gold-medal final on Sunday.
New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes scored 1:41 into extra time, left alone in the slot during 3-on-3 play as Canada scrambled after surrendering an odd-man break seconds earlier.
Matthew Boldy of the Minnesota Wild also tallied for the U.S. in the first period, while Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar scored an equalizer for Canada late in the second.
"It's really disappointing, especially with the group we had. The whole time, we believed in ourselves. We had lots of chances, I had lots of chances, I missed. You get put in those situations, you have to capitalize on your opportunities, and I didn't," said Canada forward Macklin Celebrini, of North Vancouver, B.C.
"We went through a lot. We're all going to remember this time, but unfortunately, it's going to be more motivational than celebration."
The gold is the United States’ first in Olympic men’s hockey since the 1980 Lake Placid Games.
Canada played the final without captain Sidney Crosby, sidelined by a lower-body injury sustained when his right leg bent awkwardly in the quarterfinal win over Czechia.
He also missed the 3-2 semifinal victory over Finland on Friday.
Canada had previously beaten the United States for Olympic gold in 2002 and 2010, and defeated the Americans in overtime in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off final.
Hockey silver served as Canada’s final medal of the Milan Cortina Games.
After sitting on eight medals and no gold at the halfway mark, Canada's Olympic team collected 13 in the second half — including five gold — to finish the Cortina Games with 21 medals and eighth overall on the medal table, behind Norway (41), the United States (33) and host Italy (30).
Canada finished outside the top five countries on the Olympic medal table for the first time since 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. The 21-medal total, short of the 26-medal target set after Beijing, comes as national sport organizations say core federal funding — about $266 million annually — has not increased since 2005, despite a request for a $144-million boost.
"There were incredible medal moments," chief executive officer David Shoemaker said at the COC's closing news conference in Milan on Sunday. "But we're competitive. We look up at the medal table. We see the countries ahead of us. We aspire to do better, and we worry about the future."
The Games came to a close Sunday night at the Verona Olympic Arena, the ancient Roman amphitheatre serving as the backdrop for a ceremony that brought together athletes from more than 90 countries.
The Canadian Olympic Committee said approximately 90 of Canada’s 207 athletes in Milan Cortina marched in the closing ceremony, with speedskater Valérie Maltais and short-track speedskater Steven Dubois carrying the Canadian flag into the stadium.
Dubois, who won gold in the men's 500 metre and silver in the mixed relay, called the honour the highlight of his Games.
"I feel like, honestly, this might be the best day of my life. It's crazy. It might be the sum of everything that's happening," he said.
"To close it off, a very special Games, as flag-bearer, my goal coming here was to enjoy the moment, and there's probably no way I can do that more than by being a flag-bearer. It's going to be a dream for me."
Also on the last day of the Games, Canada narrowly missed another podium in women’s halfpipe, where Calgary's Amy Fraser placed fourth and China’s Eileen Gu defended her Olympic title.
Cassie Sharpe of Squamish, B.C., the 2014 Olympic champion in the event, qualified third but sustained a concussion in a crash and did not participate in the final.
There was also Canadian content in the men's four-man bobsled finals, where Taylor Austin of Lethbridge, Alta., piloted the top Canadian team to a 14th-place finish.
Jasmine Drolet of Rossland, B.C., was the top Canadian in the women's 50-kilometre classic style cross-country ski race, finishing 17th.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
